Coding device



Feb. 15, 1960 J. A. RAFFALL! CODING DEVICE INVENTOR \TooEPn A. RAFFALLI 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATT RNEYS Filed Oct. 28, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. A. RAFFALLI CODING DEVICE w g 05 iii 0 E 2222 2 12m m? E LQTTFYI 15m iingaiogm Feb. W, 1960 Filed Oct. 28, 1955 Qr w mvENToizs .TossPu A'RAFFALLI M, MYmz-w flTToRNEYs CUDHNG DEVICE Joseph A. Raiialli, Boulogne-sur-Seine, France Application Detober 28, 1955, Serial No. 543,566

Claims priority, application France November 5, 1954 2 Claims. (Cl. 35-3) The object of the present invention is to provide a coding device by means of which a huge number of different relations may be achieved between written signs of a list or alphabet (for instance, letters, figures orany conventional signs) and other signs meant to conventionally replace the aforesaid signs, for instance also the whole of the letters or figures written in an incoherent order (incoherent alphabet).

By its use, it is possible to arrange, in register with an ordered alphabet, either an incoherent alphabet or a series of incoherent alphabets in an order which has been beforehand agreed upon.

According to the invention, the apparatus consists of rotating cylinders, each carrying longitudinally a series of regularly spaced apart incoherent alphabets, each one being identified by a mark, said cylinders being visible through slot shaped windows, each showing only one of said incoherent alphabets and its mark, each of said windows being edged with an alphabet, preferably ordered.

Thus, a sign (for example a letter or a figure), read on the ordered alphabet edging the window of the first cylinder, corresponds to a sign read on the incoherent alphabet, visible on this first cylinder, which, identified in the Ordered alphabet edging the window of the second cylinder, enables one to find out in the visible incoherent alphabet of the latter a new sign, which, in turn, can be identified in the ordered alphabet of a third cylinder and so on, the final sign read on the incoherent alphabet of the last cylinder giving finally the sign to be, by convention, substituted for the first sign chosen at the beginning in first ordered alphabet.

Knowing the list of marks to be used on each cylinder, it is thus possible either to give to a sign a conventional equivalence or to find out, my proceeding in the reverse way, the original sign, its equivalence being known.

Let us suppose that the apparatus is fitted with three cylinders having respectively m, n, p incoherent alphabets identified by equal numbers or" distinct marks. If all possible combinations of these marks are used, the apparatus gives virtually m x n x p incoherent alphabets re sulting from the successive reports of signs on the three cylinders. These incoherent alphabets, not materialized on the cylinders, will be called hereafter resulting alphabets.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention the marks of the series of incoherent alphabets of a given cylinder are carried on a disc coaxial and adjacent to this cylinder. This disc is rotatable with respect to said cylinder by fractions of a turn, in such a way that one mark always corresponds to one of the alphabets. Furthermore each incoherent alphabet shows an identification mark so one may place it in front of one of the markings of the disk conventionally chosen as origin.

The conventional coding between initial and final signs is thus defined, not only by the indication of the list of markings corresponding to each disc, but also by the position of each disc in reference to the corresponding hired sites W W it t cylinder. This position can be identified by the identification mark appearing in front of one of the markings.

The following description with reference to the attached drawings, given as a non-restrictive example, will show how the invention may be carried out.

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of an example of apparatus according to the invention, with two cylinders.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section of this apparatus through the axis of one of these cylinders.

Figs. 3a and 3b show examples of sign codings that can be made with the apparatus.

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of an interchangeable slider for cylinder.

Fig. 5 shows in half cross section another embodiment of a cylinder carrying such interchangeable sliders.

The apparatus shown on these figures is contained in a rectangular box with a bottom in and a cover 117. The axles 3 of the cylinders rotate in open bearings 2, arranged on the upper edges of the bottom la. These axles are conveniently made in shape of journals 3a forced into the cylinder ends (Fig. 5). The cylinders can thus be taken ofi when the cover 1b is away. Conversely they are held in place when this cover is lowered down.

Each cylinder 4 fast with the axle 3 is fitted with a disc 5 which can turn around this axle, but which can be locked with the cylinder 4, for instance by means of plugs 12 pushed by springs 13, said plugs engaging holes 14 of the disc.

These cylinders longitudinally carry regularly spaced apart rows of incoherent alphabets each consisting of all the letters in an arbitrary order, followed by the list of all the figures, also in an arbitrary order. Each incoherent alphabet is identified or referenced by an identification mark '7 consisting (in the examples shown on Figures 1 and 2) of two signs (figures or letters). 7

Each disc shows a series of markings 8, in a number equal to that of the incoherent alphabets. Each of these markings consists also, in the considered example, of two signs.

One of these markings 8a, considered as origin is, for the sake of simplicity, indicated by an arrow.

In the outer end face of each disc 5 is provided a locking system, for example, a hole 15 arranged so that, by actuating a push button 10, urged back by the spring 11 and by turning the cylinder by means of a milled knob E8, the disc 5 is stopped when it comes into the position in which the origin mark appears in the slot shaped window 19. The disc 5 being stopped in this position, aslong as the push button 10 is pressed down, it is possible, by further turning the cylinder 4, to place in front of the origin marking 8a any one of the markings T is. any one of the incoherent alphabets carried by the cylinder.

When the push button 10 is released, the disc 5 is again locked to the cylinder by the plugs 12, the marking 8a remaining in front of the incoherent alphabet which has been brought in line with it.

The cylinder 4 is fast with a cog wheel l6the number of teeth of which is equal-to that of the incoherent alphabets of this cylinder. A catch 17, for instance a spring blade bent into the shape of a hook, can thus, in cooperation with this cog wheel, stop the cylinder step by step.

On the cover lb, extend two slot shaped windows of a width equal to the height of each incoherent alphabet of the cylinders and of such a length that they uncover on the disc and on the cylinder an incoherent alphabet, its identification mark and the corresponding disc marking.

Along the edge of each window appears an ordered alphabet 20, in this case the usual alphabet followed by the figures in their natural order.

This apparatus can be completed by a shutter 21 turning around axles 22 and which can hide the ordered alphabet of the first cylinder and substitute therefor another ordered alphabet, for example in the present case some series of numbers (Fig. 3b) or still a series of figures and special signs formed in back of this shutter. As shown on the Figs. 3a and 3b, the shutter 21 can be provided with extensions 21a which hide furthermore (if necessary) some parts of the window 19.

It will be appreciated that, by turning the knobs 18, the discs and cylinders turn simultaneously and that all the incoherent alphabets can be brought successively in front of the windows 19; these alphabets can be identified either by their own identification mark 7 or by a marking 8.

Thus a two-cylinder apparatus, ready to use, shows on the cover from back to front (or for simplicitys sake from top to bottom, Fig. 3a)

" The first ordered alphabet 20,

The first incoherent alphabet (first cylinder) with-its mark 7 and its marking 8,

The second ordered alphabet,

The second incoherent alphabet (second cylinder) with its mark 7 and its marking 8.

Disregarding the identification marks 7 which have been used to place into position each cylinder in reference to its disc, let us find out the equivalent of the letter A in the position indicated by the markings 8: respectively 20 and 33.

(a) On the first alphabet arranged in regular order, the character A is looked for.

(b) Under A on the first cylinder, appears 0.

(c) On the second alphabet arranged in regular order, the character is looked for.

(d) Under 0 on the second cylinder, appears Q.

The equivalent of .A is Q.

resulting alphabets. An apparatus having three cylinders with 32 alphabets gives 32,768 resulting alphabets, all difierent from each other.

Of course, it should be possible to modify or entirely change the series or tables of alphabets shown on the cylinders. The same applies to the markings shown on the discs, were it only for meeting the difierent requirements of the various ofiices using the apparatus.

The incoherent alphabets constituting a table are chosen by the qualified authority who prescribes their disposition on the cylinders and the conditions of use of the apparatus.

The alphabet tables can be carried by a sheet of strong paper which may be stuck all around a cylinder or secured thereto by any other means.

Preferably the incoherent alphabets 6 are carried on a T-shaped slider 25 (Fig. 4) accommodated in a groove of the cylinder and hearing at its ends parts for securing it to this cylinder.

In the illustrated example, these parts are made of a rounded nose 26 and a heel 27.

In this case the cylinders may be constructed as shown on Fig. 5. The left hand end of the cylinder 4 wears a fixed cap 28, while the right hand end of the cylinder wears a cap 29, which can slide on the axle, against the spring 30. The cylinder 4 carries on its whole length the grooves 31 for the insertion of the sliders. Each slider inserted by its rounded nose 26 beneath the edge of the cap 28 is lowered down in the groove 31 of the cylinder 4 and held in position by means of its heel 27 placed beneath the sliding cap 29. The simple permutation of the sliders on a given cylinder does not alter the total possible number of resulting alphabets but In the same way, B becomes J, C becomes A and D becomes B.

Thesame operation can be made for the figures located on the right hand side of the alphabets, so:

1 becomes 2 2 becomes 9 3 becomes 3, etc.

1 can be represented by Q or by Y or by R 2 can be represented by J or by F or by E 3 can be represented by A or by L or by V For finding back the sign, its equivalent only being known, it is necessary to operate in the reverse Way, i.e. to look for this equivalent on the last incoherent alphabet (second cylinder) and then to go back to the first ordered alphabet.

The coding value of the signs thus obtained depends in the first place on the number of substitution alphabets used.

By transforming the character (letter or figure) to be coded through the reading of two successive alphabets, the number of possible resulting substitution alphabets for a given apparatus is equal to the product of the number of alphabets carried by the first cylinder and of the number of alphabets carried by the second cylinder.

Thus an apparatus having two cylinders with 20 incoherent alphabets gives, through the two successive readings, 400 resulting different alphabets. An apparatus having two cylinders with 32 alphabets gives 1,024

modifies their appearing order in use. However it is possible to dispose of a number of sliders greater than that of the cylinder grooves 31.

Instructions from the qualifiedauthorities specify the number of sliders to be used and the order in which they are to be placed on each cylinder.

As an indication, it can be mentioned that, using a set of sliders with fixed characters, it is possible to have (with the use of two cylinders) 21 total of 9,900 different substitution resulting alphabets (100x99). By using three cylinders, 970,200 resulting alphabets are obtained.

The choice of the sliders to be placed on the cylinders determines the resulting alphabets which will be used. The order in which the sliders are placed on the cylinders determines the order of presentation of the substitution resulting alphabets for their use with the apparatus. It is to be noticed that this order is a fraction of all the possible orders of presentation (100 or 1.2.3 100 with 100 sliders).

Instead of fixed characters, engraved for instance, the sliders may carry mobile characters, for example made of slidfng elements 32 (Fig. 4) carrying each a character (letter or figure). These elements can be engaged one after the other upon each slider. Less advantageously, these mobile signs can also be placed one by one in the grooves of the cylinders. In the same way, mobile characters can be used for the markings 8 of the discs 5.

Finally, it is possible to use the apparatus in two ways,

either by single substitution or by double coding substitution. g (A) For short symbols, the coding by single substitution (i.e. by using the same resulting substitution alphabet for each letter or figure of a given symbol) may sometimes appear to be sufficient. The safety factor in this case is obtained through the use of a different substitution alphabet for the coding of each symbol.

(B) For longer symbols, for groups of symbols or for more important texts requiring a more elaborated codingthan the single substitution, use can be made of the double coding substitution. It is suflieient to agree that the first character (letter or figure) of the text to be coded with the substitution alphabet corresponding to an origin position of the marks fixed by the conventions and that the following signs shall be coded one by one with the following substitution alphabets which are obtained by conventionally turning the cylinders (for example, turning by one notch for each sign in a direction decided beforehand).

What I claim is:

1. A coding device comprising a cylinder longitudinally carrying a plurality of regularly spaced apart rows of signs in varying successions, each of said rows being identifiable by a sign at one end thereof; a rotary drum coaxial with said cylinder and adapted to rotate relatively thereto, said drum being positioned at that end of the cylinder carrying said identification signs and forming an extension of said cylinder; a number of marks on said drum positioned to register with said rows; means for releasingly locking said drum against rotation relatively to said cylinder; stationary means for viewing but one of said rows and the corresponding mark on the drum; means for rotating simultaneously said cylinder and drum to expose different rows and marks to said viewing means;

a row of signs in regular order on a stationary part adjacent to and along the said viewing means; and a flap pivotally mounted on the said stationary part and adapted in one position to conceal at least a part of said latter row of signs on said part and to substitute therefor other signs carried on said flap.

2. A device according to claim 1 further comprising elongated supports, each carrying a row of signs in varying succession and means for releasingly securing said elongated supports around said cylinder.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 407,425 Von Simon July 23, 1889 642,721 Roussel Feb. 6, 1900 875,070 Haas et a1 Dec. 31, 1907 1,440,585 Corrigan Jan. 2, 1923 1,644,239 Damm Oct. 4, 1927 2,093,530 Walmsley Sept. 21, ,1937

FOREIGN PATENTS 478,943 France Nov. 2, 1915 990,164 France June 6, 1951 

